• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • FaceBook
  • RSS Feed
  • Get Published
  • Book Proposals
  • Book Business
  • Writing Craft
    • Conferences
    • Copyright
    • Craft
    • Creativity
    • Grammar
  • Fun Fridays
Home » Creativity » Page 4

Creativity

New Year, New First Lines!

By Karen Ballon January 25, 2017
Share
Tweet
84

Are you as stunned as I am that we’re already weeks into 2017? I figure the beginning of an all-new year is a great time to share our all-new first lines! I love seeing what you all are working on, so jump in and share the first line—and ONLY the first line—of your current work in progress. Fiction, nonfiction, children’s book, whatever. Let the sharing begin!

Here’s mine:

His first breath of freedom in fifteen years was made even sweeter by the sure knowledge that retribution was at hand.

Leave a Comment
Category: CreativityTag: Creativity

The Seeds of Great Ideas

By Karen Ballon January 18, 2017
Share
Tweet
15

Thanks so much for sharing your tips and sources for ideas last week. What fun to read your thoughts and insights. I’d invite you all to review those comments from time to time, considering if one or more of them might not help you expand the ways you develop ideas. For today, though, I want to encourage you to give something a try, and that’s an Idea Journal. This isn’t a regular journal. It’s …

Read moreThe Seeds of Great Ideas
Category: CreativityTag: Creativity

Finding Great Book Ideas

By Karen Ballon January 11, 2017
Share
Tweet
23

The beginning of a whole new year seems like a good time to think about new ideas. Specifically, new ideas for stories to write. We all have our favorite sources for new ideas. Some pull story ideas from breaking news stories, some from their own personal experiences or struggles, some from the lives of those they know, some from all of the above and more. Next week I’ll share some ways to spark …

Read moreFinding Great Book Ideas
Category: CreativityTag: Creativity

An Author’s Journey

By Dan Balowon October 25, 2016
Share
Tweet
13

I wanted our agency client Scott Douglas LaCounte to guest-blog today because of the anniversary it represents (see below) and how God worked through the publishing process and journey to encourage a writer and his family.  Scott is quite modest. He is the head librarian for the Southern California Institute of Technology. Years ago, he was a regular contributor to the popular Christian humor …

Read moreAn Author’s Journey
Category: Agents, Creativity, Guest Post, PlatformTag: Agents, Creativity, Platform

Creativity Sparks

By Karen Ballon October 19, 2016
Share
Tweet
7

Thank all of you for the blessing of your shared thoughts, encouragement, and condolences on my blog last week. As I suspected, many others have been in this place of struggling to wrench creativity from the jaws of emotional/spiritual/physical fog. Your suggestions echoed my own, from giving yourself time to setting a timer, to just writing anything to get words on paper (I even decided writing …

Read moreCreativity Sparks
Category: Creativity, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

Autumn Haiku

By Karen Ballon September 21, 2016
Share
Tweet
36

I love autumn. Love the crisp air, the faint scent of burning leaves, the cold mornings that still give way to sunny, blue-sky days. Love watching the leaves change into their new wardrobe of rich red, gold, and orange. There’s so much about this season that testifies to God’s artistry and creativity. So, as autumn officially launches, let’s share some of our creativity with each other by crafting …

Read moreAutumn Haiku
Category: Creativity, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Haiku

Happy 50th Birthday, Star Trek

By Steve Laubeon September 5, 2016
Share
Tweet
12

It was 50 years ago this week that the TV show “Star Trek” made its debut on NBC (September 8, 1966). It lasted for only three years and 79 episodes, but continues to influence our entertainment culture to this day. Did you know who the original producers were? If you guessed Gene Roddenberry you would be half right. The other half of the funding for the show came from Desilu …

Read moreHappy 50th Birthday, Star Trek
Category: Craft, Creativity, Inspiration, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Creativity, science fiction

Book Topics That Will Always Be Needed (Unfortunately)

By Dan Balowon August 30, 2016
Share
Tweet
7

With hundreds of thousands of new books published every year in the U.S., very few are on topics never previously covered. In the Christian publishing world, a quick glimpse back in history will reveal similar patterns of behavior and spiritual need no matter when you decide to stop your time machine. While many things change, some never change…like people. Look to Scripture as the starting point. …

Read moreBook Topics That Will Always Be Needed (Unfortunately)
Category: Creativity, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Book Topics, Creativity

There is Power in Possibility

By Steve Laubeon May 9, 2016
Share
Tweet
11

The publishing industry can be a challenge for someone with artistic sensibilities. The psyche can be worn down by disappointment, bad reviews, poor sales, and rejection by agents and editors. To be resilient in the face of such disillusion is a quality to be desired. I found this quote from Søren Kierkegaard (Danish philosopher and theologian 1813-1855) in his book Either/Or: “If I were to wish …

Read moreThere is Power in Possibility
Category: Art, Craft, CreativityTag: Art, Craft, Creativity, Possibility

Variety Is the Spice of Characters

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 5, 2016
Share
Tweet
42

Recently I read a general market novel where I noticed that the characters sounded the same in a way. For example, for earning money, two disparate characters said, “made scratch.” The phrase jumped out at me the first time because it’s one I simply don’t use. So when a second character used the same expression, my mind wandered out of the story and into thinking about the expression. The book …

Read moreVariety Is the Spice of Characters
Category: Craft, Creativity, Writing CraftTag: Characters, Craft, Creativity, Writing Craft
  • Previous
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 9
  • Next

Sidebar

Get Blog Updates

Enter your email address to get new blog updates delivered via email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Grow as a Writer


Find Out More →

Popular Posts

Top Posts on Book Proposals
  • Hints for a Great Cover Letter
  • The Keys to a Great Book Proposal
  • What Steve Laube is Looking For
  • Book Proposals I’d Love to See – Tamela Hancock Murray
  • What I’m Looking for – Bob Hostetler
  • What I’m Looking for – Dan Balow
  • What I’m Looking for – Lynette Eason
  • What’s the Best Way to Submit My Self-Published Book?
  • What Is the Agent Doing While I Wait?
  • God Gave Me This Blog Post
Top Posts on The Business Side
  • When Your Book Becomes Personal
  • The Myth of the Unearned Advance
  • How Long Does it Take to Get Published?
  • What Are Average Book Sales?
  • Can You Plagiarize Yourself?
  • Never Burn a Bridge
  • Who Decides to Publish Your Book?
  • That Conference Appointment
  • Goodbye to Traditional Publishing?
  • Who Owns Whom in Publishing?
  • Ten Commandments for Working with Your Agent
  • Writers Beware! Protect Yourself
Top Series
  • Book Proposal Basics
  • Publishing A-Z
  • A Defense of Traditional Publishing
Top Posts on Rejection
  • The Slush Pile: Enter at Your Own Risk
  • Even the Best Get Rejected
  • Five Reasons Why You May Never Get Published
  • The Unhelpful Rejection Letter
  • Writers Learn to Wait

Blog Post Archives by Month

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 · The Steve Laube Agency · All Rights Reserved · Website by Stormhill Media